Spring 2009

SRR’s 12th Annual Visual Victories Award Winners

Categories and Judges

Specialty Retail Report is pleased to present the winners of this year’s Visual Victories Awards, sponsored by Glimcher Realty Trust, a premier US REIT based in Ohio, and Ivanhoe Cambridge, a preeminent developer and management firm with headquarters in Montreal, Canada.

Both companies are global leaders in the specialty retail industry, with properties worldwide operated with the firm belief that excellence in visual merchandising leads to more sales. We couldn’t agree more, which is why we launched SRR’s annual Visual Victories contest 12 years ago. We wanted to recognize the innovative visual merchandisers, retailers and specialty leasing pros who work hard day after day to create carts, kiosks and inlines that stand out, draw shoppers closer and help salespeople sell.

The Visual Victories Awards celebrate the best-of-the-best in seven categories:

Best Cart Display

Best Kiosk Display

Best Store Design

Best Promotional Display

Best Store Signage

Best Use of a Prop

Most Improved Retail Display

We would like to thank our panel of judges. This year 14 industry professionals shown here, representing a mix of industry expertise and perspectives, gave us their votes and insider insights, which you’ll find on the following pages.

Natural greens and neutrals blend beautifully to create a lively yet calm color palette that anchors this display for a line of all-natural personal care products. Several of our judges applauded the use of props big and small to carry the all-natural theme throughout the display, from the raffia mats and simple white bowls to the unfinished wood risers and birdhouses that draw the shoppers eye up to take in the full display. They also noted that potentially dead space is filled with greenery which symbolizes renewal in nature-the same elements the product embodies.

“From the use of the truck as a cart to the eye-catching colors to the signage and logos on the wheels, this Dale & Thomas Popcorn cart is a well-planned and carefully thought-out unit,” said Patricia Zafferese of Vornado. David Ahn of Konad USA agreed, adding, “Children and adults will both notice this display in the middle of a busy shopping mall.” Suzanne Stenerson of Northtown Mall pointed out that the red truck on the sign matches the cart design and applauded the visual merchandisers for “the way they turned that retail merchandising unit into a red farming truck straight from the corn fields. So creative!”

Third Place: My Pillow Pets

More than one judge on our panel commented on how the visual merchandiser on this My Pillow Pets cart used common items to give the display a colorful, product-appropriate central focal point that sets the stage for the sale of animal wildlife-in plush form. Risers and a lively monkey give the display height, while brightly colored green and red buckets keep products neat. The sheer cuteness of these loveable critters, our judges declared, is bound to attract big attention from kids and adults.

“This kiosk is perfectly suited to demonstrate the iRobot space-age floor-cleaning products,” said Denise Monahan of Jersey Gardens Mall. “Clearly iRobot is an experience not just a kiosk.” Patricia Zafferese added that the presentation “not only draws your eye to the product, but makes full use of the kiosk for demonstration and contact information while featuring the different uses of the products. Note how the literature holders mimic the top of the iRobot Roomba product line.”

The Federation of Milk Producers of Quebec wanted to give milk an updated image with this modern all-white kiosk. The verdict of our judges? Mission accomplished! “The Lait a la Bouche kiosk looks trendy, like something you would see in a Vegas club,” said Vickie Leiknes of Jones Lang LaSalle. Susanne Stenerson loved the round shape and the way the Federation “incorporated white fixtures, clear glass and logos on each side, making it look very clean, polished and professional.”

Third Place: BellaPierre Cosmetics

Kristin Middleton of Macerich commended BellaPierre for this kiosk’s “clean, crisp look, like a department store cosmetics counter.” She noted that “two pedestal supports for the canopy give a feather-light feel to the kiosk and are unobtrusive to the inline stores on either side. The same is true for the transparent acrylic sign band with white lettering. [The kiosk] fits perfectly in a mall’s common area and does not look too cumbersome or blocking.” The kiosk got the vote of Joni Compton of Nashville Wraps because of its “professional look” and design that made it “easy for salespeople to work with customers in different areas.”

Second Place: El Caballo Ballo Western Wear

Our judges loved the way these displays had an authentic feel and were arranged to funnel shoppers from one area of the store another with ease. Every corner of the store is accented by props that add to the western wear theme, from the candle chandeliers overhead to the floor-level wagon-wheel bench, cowhide seats and cowhide rug that together create a relaxed try-on area for boot customers. “Creative, organized displays” make this store a winner, said Joni Compton.

Third Place: Pablosky

All elements in the Pablosky store serve a functional and visual purpose, starting with the BMX bike pedal shoe mounts, which instantly put the merchandise in a visual “real life” context. Wall fixtures are anchored by fasteners resembling shoestring rivets, bordered by opaque Plexiglas panels backlit in one of the retailer’s signature brand colors. Whimsical, kid-friendly touches throughout the store include a series of “super-ball tubes” on the walls, with every buyer given a token to receive a Pablosky super-ball as a fun way to close out the sale and keep the advertising going post-sale. Vicki Leiknes summed up this winning store as “eye catching and unique.”

Joni Compton of Nashville Wraps said this retailer “understood exactly what they were promoting,” and that the clarity of mission resulted in an eye-catching display shoppers could grasp visually in a split second. Susanne Stenerson at Northtown Mall commended the visual merchandiser for “how the themed west was tied into the name of the business and the services that they offer.” She also noted the unmanned cart was a “great way to promote a satellite location for Internet sales.”

As the specialty leasing manager submitting this winning entry put it: “Fun, colorful props bring height and color to the display and add warmth to the informational product displayed.” David Ahn put his vote this way: “Wow!” An abundance of colors “draw your attention right into the display.” Several judges including Golan Hadashi of Dea Sea America commented on the use of “authentic props” to establish a credible identity for a cart without salespeople to connect with the customer. Patricia Zaferese applauded the “great use of patterns, colors and textures” to create a bright and cheery focal point that adds life to the display. She also noted that transparent racks holding the department’s marketing materials kept the cart organized and uncluttered.

A green and brown color scheme gives this display a natural feel that reinforces the healthy method advocated by the Center for Medical Weight Loss, noted Kristin Middleton. “The repeated wood mannequins and tape measures add the weight-loss ‘hint’ to each vignette” in the unit’s display cases. She added that “great professional signage” and ample product literature made this display stand out.

Best Store Signage

First Place: BearTown

It’s a sunny day in a colorful world with a smiling-bear mascot at BearTown. Our judges felt this sign “says it all.” Denise Monahan commented, “I loved the color and 3-D concept of this sign.” Patricia Zafferese noted that the store’s tagline, Where friendships are made, “welcomes small-town customers to create their own cuddly friend” in a space built just for kids.

Mouseover image to view.

Second Place: Gizzy Lu

“Brad and Carolyn’s storefront sign not only ‘pops’ because of the backlit, 3-D lettering, but also because it incorporates the theme of the products they sell,” said the local leasing representative submitting this winning entry. Our judges couldn’t have agreed more. “Just by looking at the store signage I can tell you what I expect this store to sell [since] the use of the bone and paw is a universal language even for the tourist shoppers,” said David Ahn. Several judges also noticed the paw print repeated in the bullets, complementing a whimsical yet very readable tagline.

Third Place: Milo & Lily

This retailer proves that a minimum amount of color can still make a maximum impact. Judges noted that this neon backlit sign makes a big impact with little effort, virtually reaching out to grab the shopper’s attention with only a splash of white under the nameplate and a neon blue accent. Simple yet effective. A deconstructed, black typeface tells shoppers the store is young and hip, completing this lively look for Milo & Lily.

For many judges, NBC’s nearly life-sized Dwight Schrute cardboard cutout looked like a big version of the Dwight bobblehead from the NBC hit, “The Office,” which is exactly what NBC intended. “Who doesn’t love Dwight Schrute?” asked Suzanne Stenerson rhetorically. “That guy would catch a customer’s attention 500 feet away!” Patricia Zafferese added that “as eccentric as this character’s personality is on ‘The Office,’” the larger-than-life Dwight prop is even more so. David Ahn voted for this winning prop with just four words: “Definitely a crowd stopper.”

Mouseover image to view.

Second Place: Captain Henry’s

“The detail and workmanship on this store’s props were outstanding,” declared Denise Monahan, adding that customers in the store must feel like they’re “kids again at Disney on the Pirates of the Caribbean ride-wow!” Several judges commented on the creativity and top-notch execution it took to create eye-catching displays that “make you want to look into each display to see what you can find,” commented Joni Compton. What more could a retailer ask for than shoppers motivated to discover every delightful item they can find in your store? That’s any retailer’s holy grail-made possible at Captain Henry’s through the sheer power of outstanding visual merchandising.

Visual merchandisers have a saying, “Show, don’t tell.” The most powerful displays instantaneously show shoppers how the product fits into their everyday lives. The strategy is applied with impact in this Car Baby cart featuring a car dashboard as an eye-catching focal point that brings the car itself into the mall (or at least parts of it). The display shows shoppers how easily they can receive hands-free cell calls through a car radio. Demonstration is a breeze.

The visual merchandiser on this striking makeover started with a display that virtually blended in with its surroundings and turned it into a splashy and fun attention-getter. As Mark Voydanoff pointed out, the colorful surfboard props are “awesome!” which hits just the right note for this retailer’s best customers. A matching mirror and growing greenery complete the new look that says, “Grab your shades and get outdoors!”

Several judges commented on how Choo Choo Station’s storefront went from weak to welcoming with this expert makeover. “This was quite a transformation!” said Suzanne Stenerson. “I like the way they incorporated height inside with the jungle gym and opened the windows with fun train graphics.” Shoppers shouldn’t “be able to look into a space and see straight to the back wall. You need that added height inside.” Denise Monahan said Choo Choo Station’s new “bright painted murals and clean lines” won her vote.

Talk about a total transformation! This location went from “What cart?” to “Hey, New Mexico looks like a fun place to visit!” by adding a big splash of color and a few strategically placed props that give this display a compelling promotional identity. Several judges noted that the props used were not only very budget-friendly for the Department of Tourism, but also help position New Mexico as a budget-friendly state for tourists-a key marketing message the department wanted to convey to Mall of America’s millions of annual visitors. Kudos!